All's Well That Ends Well

American

noun

a comedy (1602?) by Shakespeare.

All's well that ends well Cultural

Problems that occur along the way do not matter as long as the outcome is happy.

all's well that ends well Idioms

Everything has turned out satisfactorily, even though the outcome has been uncertain. For example, His lawyer persuaded Jack to plead guilty, but the court merely put him on probation—all's well that ends well. This proverb, dating from about 1250, gained even more currency as the title of a Shakespeare comedy.

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This proverb was used as a title for one of William Shakespeare's comedies.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The subsidised tickets will be available to book for the company's upcoming performances of Richard III and All's Well That Ends Well.

From BBC • Feb. 8, 2022

All's Well That Ends Well Independent Shakespeare Co. stages the Bard's romantic adventure tale as the inaugural offering in the troupe's new space.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2018

All’s Well That Ends Well: Sean ends his dance by publicly kissing Catherine to prove their love is real as is their upcoming ABC-sponsored wedding.

From Time • Apr. 9, 2013

Cullum, last seen on Broadway in "The Scottsboro Boys," will play Escalus in "Measure for Measure" and the King of France in "All's Well That Ends Well."

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2011

We find clear expression of this in All's Well That Ends Well, in Troilus and Cressida.

From An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway by Ruud, Martin Brown

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023